Tears/Emotion

September 30tears;emotion;maddy crying

I have to begin today's blog differently than normal. If I said I was thankful for tears I might not be telling the entire truth. In fact, tears around me make me very uncomfortable because they tell me that someone is hurting. They are a real sign of emotion signifying an unpleasant experience. So if I said I was thankful for tears I would be partially lying. In addition, if I said I was thankful for being able to cry I would be lying because I haven't been able to cry for a long long time. I think that it is an unspoken rule of the man code that a guy does not cry. So we are taught not to do it.

But having said that, I am thankful that people can express their emotion through tears because it is a way to lessen the burden they are holding and keeps them from locking it all up inside. That's why it is probably stupid for men never to cry. Is it because we are so macho that we can't express our feelings? Is it because we do not have those deep emotions? Or is it because to be a man means to carry our burdens and others' burdens inside in order to stay strong (or at least appear strong). I think the latter answer may be the key. So guys, maybe we should all get together to watch a football game one night and then just break out in tears when our quarterback gets sacked!

Today's photo is another one of Madeleine. She has no reluctance to let you know how she feels when she is upset!

a tear

i saw a tear today

upon your face

and it seemed to wash away

all the pain

all the pain away

like a river it flowed

downward to the sea

imprisoned between the banks

but in the ocean to be set free

and like the water

that takes our sin away

your tears will wash

all the pain

all the pain away.

© rt tulley

Trust

September 29trust,baby, hand holding

I am thankful for trust, trust between people; trust of me by others; trust that I give others. When we trust one another, we can go through life knowing that we can count on each other and others know that they can count on us. When we let one another down, it degrades the trust we have in each other and provides for a rocky relationship. But when we trust, nothing is too difficult for us, knowing that someone else "has our back".

You may have played the game where you put your back to someone and fall back. The trust you have in them being able to catch you determines whether you fall cleanly without a care (and are caught), or whether you take a peak or put your hands out to break your fall. When we trust others, we know that they will break our fall should we stumble.

This is our nephew Jessie and his wife Brooke's daughter Madeline holding my daughter Beth's hand/finger. Babies are pretty much the ultimate in relying in and trusting in others. We should do everything in our power to make sure that that trust is not destroyed. If we can achieve a state of trust like a baby, we will surely have experienced the ultimate in trust.

trust

if we do not trust one another

our relationship can’t exist

we will strive to remember

to never ever coexist

if you trust me

and i do not trust you

we cannot rely on one another

in anything we do

but if there is

mutual trust between we two

we will flourish as friends and colleagues

and our successes will accrue.

© rt tulley

Wildlife

September 28wildlife;deer;willow city loop texas

I am thankful for wildlife. Animals in the wild are fun to observe, even if it is often difficult to get close to them. Animals have a certain innocence about them, even if they are ferocious. They don't seem to have many of the unsavory characteristics that make some humans difficult with which to coexist. But I still love people too!

This is one of several deer that my sister and I came upon in Texas on the Willow City Loop while we were looking at wildflowers. It didn't take long for this deer to hi-tail it away. But it was there long enough for me to snap a few photos. (I don't see how anyone could shoot a gun at "Bambi"!)

wildlife

when i told my fiends

i was going out on an adventure

to catch up on some wildlife

they heartily asked to join the venture

when we got to the outdoors

they looked a little perturbed

for the wildlife i went to see

left them quite a bit disturbed

for it was not the

wild life they thought it would be.

© rt tulley